business
Ogun governor presents N339 billion 2021 budget proposal
Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, on Wednesday, presented a budget proposal of N339 billion for the 2021 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly, with N177 billion earmarked for capital expenditure. Newsmen report that the budget, christened “Budget of Recovery and Sustainability,” also has N162 billion proposed for recurrent expenditure. The governor said that an estimated N119 billion was projected as internally-generated revenue for the state, with statutory allocation expected to be N59 billion. He stated that capital receipt, which included internal and external loans as well as grants and aids, stood at N142 billion. The governor stated that personnel cost remained the largest single item of expenditure, adding as at Oct. 31, it accounted for 35.5 percent of the total government spending...
Spotify Shares Jump 16% to All-Time High
On a related note, information about podcasts could have reinforced some investors’ belief that non-music content can improve both growth and margins. Spotify’s run-down of most popular music and podcasts revealed The Joe Rogan Experience, exclusive to Spotify as of Tuesday, is its top podcast. Its popularity suggests the controversial podcast is going to be worth the $100 million Spotify is spending to license the show from Rogan. Owned and licensed podcasts give Spotify a chance to differentiate itself from its competitors. In the last two years, Spotify has purchased podcast producers The Ringer, Gimlet and Parcast and has landed exclusives with Michele Obama and Kim Kardashian West, among many others. It has also launched proprietary, music-focused franchises such as Sound Stories: Wom...
Randall Poster’s Music Supervision Firm Search Party Acquired By Premier
Poster and Deutsch, who previously founded Downtown Music, have been friends since elementary school and attended Brown University together. Earlier this year, Deutsch approached Poster with the idea for the merger. “Can you imagine how much fun it is to all of a sudden have this exciting new opportunity with someone you’ve known since you were 12 years old?” said Poster in a statement. “We have always collaborated with the most interesting and important artists, songwriters and producers to create inspiring work. Josh has always held himself to the highest standards in the industry. It makes me feel great how excited he is to embrace not only me but the team I’ve cultivated and the work that we’ve done. In these transformative times, I can’t say enough about that support, friendship and f...
Hip-Hop Streaming Platform Spinrilla Found Liable for Users’ Copyright Infringement
On Monday, U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg granted summary judgment in favor of the RIAA on the issue of liability and rejected Spinrilla’s DMCA Safe Harbor defense. Totenberg notes that the 11th Circuit hasn’t yet considered whether direct copyright infringement must be willful, but finds “even if volitional conduct is required to prove direct infringement, the cases on which Plaintiffs rely have all held that the affirmative act of streaming constitutes direct infringement of the copyright holder’s exclusive right of performance regardless of the fact that the streaming occurs at the request of the user.” She continues, “Defendants have created an interactive internet player that streams copyrighted content directly from its website and mobile app. In doin...
Capitol Music Group Looks to Larry Mattera to Lead Flagship Label
Mattera comes from more than 25 years of experience in digital marketing and music strategy. Most recently, he served as general manager and executive vice president of commerce and marketing at Warner Records since 2016. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing label operations and all artist and new release campaigns, including projects from artists like Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, Lil Pump, Jason Derulo, Gorillaz, Gary Clark Jr, Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day. Before Warner Records, Mattera spent eight years as the senior vp of global digital accounts at WEA, Warner Music Group’s global artist and label service arm. He has also served at Amp’d Mobile, Island Def Jam (where he pioneered its digital marketing efforts with the creation of a New Media Department), Po...
Take That’s Gary Barlow Takes Lead on U.K. Midweek Chart
Steps’ sixth studio album is at No. 2 on the midweek survey, and is the territory’s leader in downloads and vinyl sales so far this week. The reunited pop act has three U.K. No. 1 albums to their name, and their 2017 comeback album Tears on the Dancefloor reached No. 2. Last week’s chart-leader Together at Christmas (Decca) by Michael Ball and Alfie Boe dips 1-3 on the chart blast, while Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts (RCA) opens at No. 4, and is the week’s most streamed album in the U.K. The top five is rounded out by AC/DC’s former leader Power Up (Columbia), down 4-5, while career retrospective sets from ’80s stars Spandau Ballet (40 Years – The Greatest Hits, at No. 6 via Rhino) and Shakin’ Stevens (Singled Out at No. 9 via BMG) are eyeing Top 10 debuts. Dua Lipa is leaping up ...
Grammy Museum Announces First Exhibit for When It Reopens
“While the museum’s doors may still be closed, our curatorial team has been hard at work preparing for our reopening,” said Michael Sticka, president of the Grammy Museum, in a statement. In the meantime, Motown Records will take over this month’s Spotlight Saturdays, the museum’s virtual program series featuring up-and-coming artists in sit-down interviews and performances. Here is this month’s Spotlight Saturdays schedule: Dec. 5 – Joy Denalane Dec. 12 – Chaz French Dec. 19 – Asiahn Dec. 26 – NJOMZA The museum also announced the rest of its December schedule on COLLECTION:live (which consist of interviews and/or performances). Two of the subjects of these sessions were Grammy-nominated last week. Bettye LaVette was nominated for best contemporary blues album...
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe Beat BTS to U.K. Albums Chart Title
Earlier in the year, Ball topped the Singles Chart along with fundraising hero Captain Sir Tom Moore on their charity cover of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” With Christmas making a big impact, BTS open at No. 2 on the U.K. chart with BE (Big Hit Entertainment), their fifth Korean-language album. It’s the K-pop stars’ fourth Top 10 collection in the territory in the past two-and-a-half years. Meanwhile, AC/DC’s Power Up (Columbia) dips 1-3, and is one of five Australian album releases in the Top 40, a list that includes Kylie Minogue’s Disco (BMG), down 5-10; Nick Cave’s Idiot Prayer (Bad Seed), new at No. 18; Tim Minchin’s Apart Together (BMG), new at No. 27; and ARIA Award-nominated newcomer The Kid LAROI’s F**k Love (Columbia), down 19-33. Taylor Swift’s former leader...
AC/DC’s ‘Power Up’ Plugs In For Second Week Atop Australia’s Albums Chart
BE features the track “Fly To My Room,” produced and co-written with Sydney electronic duo Cosmo’s Midnight, while album track “Life Goes On” is the highest new entry on the Australian singles survey, at No. 27. Homegrown artist, comedian and playwright Tim Minchin bows at No. 3 with Apart Together, his debut solo studio album. It’s not Minchin first appearance on an ARIA chart. He appeared on the singles survey at No. 11 with “Come Home (Cardinal Pell)” in February 2016. Reunited Melbourne trio Something For Kate return to the albums tally with The Modern Medieval, their first LP in eight years. The follow-up to Leave Your Soul To Science (No. 5 in October 2012), Medieval is new at No. 4 It’s the group’s seventh studio album and their sixth Top Ten on the ARIA Albums Chart. Rounding out t...
Ariana Grande’s ‘Positions’ Chasing Sixth Week at No. 1 In U.K.
Ariana Grande is on track for a sixth week at No. 1 in the U.K. with “Positions,” while Liam Gallagher is dreaming of his own career high. Gallagher’s new charity single “All You’re Dreaming Of” is the most downloaded track in the early part of the week, and is heading for the week’s highest debut. The former Oasis and Beady Eye frontman starts at No. 12 on the Official Chart: First Look, which tallies sales and streaming data from the weekend. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Chris Brown Is Top Winner at 2020 Soul Train Awards: Complete List of Winners
Summer Walker’s debut album, Over It, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200, won album of the year. Megan Thee Stallion, whose “Savage” reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 (via a remix featuring Beyoncé), won the rhythm & bars award for that smash. Beyoncé shared the video of the year award for “Brown Skin Girl” with her eight-year old daughter, Blue Ivy, as well as Saint Jhn & Wizkid. That video is also nominated for a Grammy for best music video. Snoh Aalegra, a Swedish singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles, took best new artist. Aalegra’s 2019 sophomore album, Ugh, Those Feels Again, reached No. 73 on the Billboard 200. Brandy and Monica, who teamed to record the 1998 classic “The Boy Is Mine,” each received an award. Brandy took the Soul Train certified award. Mon...
NAICOM issues operating licenses to 4 insurers, 1 reinsurance firms
File Photo The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has granted operating licenses to four insurance firms and one reinsurance company to operate in the nation’s insurance industry. The four insurance firms are Heirs Insurance Limited (General); Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited; Heirs Life Assurance Limited; Enterprise Life Company Nigeria Limited; and FBS Reinsurance Limited. The Commissioner for Insurance, Sunday Thomas, while presenting the licenses to the companies in Abuja, said that they have met the statutory requirements to carry out insurance business in Nigeria. Meanwhile, Heirs Insurance Limited (general) has appointed Olaniyi Stephen Onifade as its Managing Director; Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited appointed Akinjide Orimolade as Managing Director; Heirs Life Assurance Limited a...
